Let-off motion for looms



26, J P CASEY. 1,855,599

' LET-OFF MOTION FOR LOOMS Filed May 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR cfinhn Perry 6226427 n ATTORNE April 26, 1932. ,'P A Y 1,855,599

LET-OFF MOTION FOR LOOMS Filed May 15, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a v [IE] O": l- 7 INVENTOR Yb WW ATTCRNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1932 JOHN PERRY CASEY, or LA REns, son'rn CAROLINA Lea -Orr o mon non Looms Application filed May 15,

'* top beam,with relation to a concurrent let'- off ac'tionof warp from the lower'warp-beam of the loom. This let-off of warp from a plurality ofwarp-beams has heretofore been attempted by means of friction let-offs, but the action of such mechanisms'is not uniform and, accordingly, unsatisfactory. My

improved let-off mechanism may be connected with one or both warp-beams of the loom. The improved let-01f mechanism is preferably, connected with the warp-beam by speed-reduction gearing, so that the action of the let-off mechanism; upon the warp-beam is more sensitive and lets off the warpmo're evenly and more gradually, with the result that thewarp isautomatica'lly letoff at an adj usteduniform'rate. By virtue of the operation of the let-off mechanism, when used in connection with the top warp-beam or both warp-beams, the'warp isfed from the top warp-beam at the same tension as the tension of the warp from the lower warpbeam, thereby equalizing the tension upon both sets of warps atany and all times, enabling a loom to weave cloth from two or more warp-beams, with uniform tension upon all sets of warpsr i V I In the. accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the same, I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the let-off mechanism, showing the same'associated with the upper warp beam of the loom, and,

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same, some of the associated elements'being shown diagrammatically] v In the drawings, wherein for the'purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates uprights or standards included inthe 1931. Serial n 537,31.

frame of theloom, having bearings 6, re- :ceivin a horizontal shaft 7 carrying the warpeam 8, which isrotatable therewith.

' UNITED STATES r reN-roFFIcEff The numeral 9 designatesa stationary frame element, having a bearing 10,.receiving a brake shaft.11.- The rotation .of-this brake shaft is opposed by adjustable brake-mechanism including a drum 12, rigidly mount-t ed upon the shaft'and an adjustable brake band 13, suitably connected with the frame element 145. This brake mechanism may be of any well known or preferred 'type. A pinion 15 is mounted upon the brake shaft 11 to turn therewith, andthis pinion engages a larger pinionil6, mounted upon the shaft 7, to rotate'the'samea It is, thus, seen that a reducing gearingis interposed between the shaft 11 and shaft 7 The let-off motion is imparted to the shaft .11 and transmitted at a reduced rate tothe warp-beam shaft-7, thereby rendering the let-off action ,of the Warp-beam more sensitive and accurate.

Arranged near and beneath the warp-beam is a horizontal rock shaft 17 journaled in bearings 18,'carried by'stationary arms. 19. This i rock shaft receives thereon apertured heads 20, adapted to be clamped 'tothe same in a selected rotaryfposition, by set 'screws 21, or the like. The heads 20 carry generally verticalcranks or radial arms 22, havinga horizontal presser bar 23, secured to the'outer ends, as shown. Rigidly mounted upon the opposite ends of the rock shaft 17, to turn therewith, are horizontal radial arms 24,-having apertured heads 25, formed upon their free ends. These apertured headsareslidably mountedupon'stationary rods 26, at-

' tached at their lower ends to the uprights 5.

The apertures of the heads 25- are largerin diameter than'the diameter of the-rods 26, so=

that there will be no tendency for the heads to bind upon the rods 26, when. partaking of limited longitudinal movements thereon. The heads 25 engagethe lower endsofcompressible coil springs 27, surrounding the rods 26, and held beneath collars 28, which are lon gitudinally adjustably mounted upon the rods 26'and clamped thereto in selected adjusted positions by means of set screws 29. The upperends of the rods 26 are, preferably, cali- I brated so that the tension of the springs may be accuratelyadjusted, whereby the let-off action of the warp-beam will occur at any selected tension.

While I have shown and described the springs 27 and associated elements at both ends of the rock shaft, satisfactory results may be obtained byemploying one spring alrlldfassociated elements at one end of the rock s a t.

Extending upward from the rock shaft 17 and rigidly attached thereto for turning upon-thebrake shaft 11, for rotation there- I the whip-roll.

with. The pawl being mountedupon the rod 33, reciprocates therewith. The pawl carrying rod is pivotally supported at its lower end upon a lever 36, as shown at 37. The lever 36 is pivotally mounted between its ends upon a stationary pivot 38, and this I lever has an extension 39, having pivotal connection with a link 40, which is pivotally connected with the laysword 41 of the loom. While it is preferred to drive the lever 39 by the movement of the lay-sword, it may be driven from'anyother suitable movable part ofthe loom, such as Itwill be seen that the rod 33 and pawl 34 constitute aunitary or rigid pawl element.

The warp 42 passes from the warp-beam 8, and travels over the presser bar 23, and-then about'guide means 43 and 44, and is finally connectedwith the cloth beam, as is well known. 7

The operation of thelet-off mechanism is as follows: When the tension upon the warp is lessened, the springs 27 move the cranks 24 downwardly, which turn the rock shaft counter clockwise, Figure 2, whereby the crank30 moves connecting rod 31 to the left, and rod 33 is swung to the left upon its pivot 37, and pawl 34 is held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 35. .Themotion of the lay-sword 41 is transmitted to the operating lever 36, which imparts a reciprocatory up and down move-,

ment to the rod 33 and pawl 34, but this pawl will not now turn the ratchet wheel, as it is out of engagementtherewith. As the tension upon the'warp increases, the same acts upon the presser bar 23, swinging .it downwardly, turning the rock shaft 17 clockwise, Figure 2, whereby the rod 33 is swung to the right and the pawl 34 brought into engagement with the ratchet wheel35; The reciprocatory movement of the pawl will now effect an intermittent turning movement of the ratchet wheel, which movement is transmitted by the reduction gearing to the warp-beam. It is, thus, seen that the let-off mechanism effects a positive or mechanical turning movement of the warp-beam in opposition to the holding action of the brake mechanism, and this letoif turning movement may be regulated by adjusting the tension of the springs 27, whereby it will occur at any selected tension.

.It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred example of the same, and thativarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination witha warp-beam of .a loom, of speed-reduction gearing connected v with the warp-beam to drive it, a ratchet wheel to drive the speed-reduction gearing, brake mechanism connected with the ratchet wheel to oppose its turning movement, a generally vertical reciprocatory rod carrying near its upper end'a pawl to reciprocate therewith and-for coactionv with the ratchet wheel, a pivoted lever pivotally connected with the lower end of the'reciprocatory rod servingto support the same and to eflect its reciprocatory movement, said pivoted lever being operated by a movable part of the loom, a rockshaft pivotally supported near and beneath the warp-beam, a presser bar connected with the rock shaft to turn it and engaging with the warp from the warpbeam to be depressed thereby when the tension increases upon the warp, a generally vertical crank rigidly mounted upon the rock shaft, a connecting rod connecting the crank and reciprocatory rod, a generally horizontal crank rigidly mounted upon the rock shaft and having an apertured head, a generally vertical stationary rod extending through the apertured head, a coil spring surrounding the stationary rod and arranged above the aperturedhead to engage therewith, van element'longitudinally adjustably mounted upon the stationary rod and engaging'the upper end of the spring, the arrangement being such that the spring serves to raise the presser bar'and thereby effect a disengagement between the pawl and ratchet wheel. V

2. The combination with a warp-beam of a loom arranged near the top of the loom, of speed-reduction gearing connected with the warp-beam to drive it, a ratchet wheel to drive the speed-reduction gearing, brake mechanism connected with the ratchet wheel to oppose its turning movement, a generally vertical reciprocatory rod provided near its upper end with a pawl for coaction with the ratchet wheel, a pivoted lever pivotally connected with the lower end of the reciprocatory rod and serving as a sole support for the same, means connecting the lever with the lay-sword of the loom, a rock shaft pivotally supported near and beneath the warp-beam, radial arms carried by the rock shaft, a presser bar carried by the radial arms for engaging with the warp from the warp-beam and being depressed upon the increase of tension upon the warp, a generally vertical crank connected with the rock shaft, a rod connecting the generally vertical crank and the reciprocatory rod, a generally horizontal crank connected with the rock shaft and having an apertured head, a stationary generally vertical rod passing through the apertured head, a spring arranged upon the rod above the head, a collar carried by the stationary rod and engaging the upper end of the spring, and means whereby the collar may be longitudinally adjusted upon the stationary rod and locked in the adjusted position, the arrangement being such that the spring serves to raise the presser bar and thereby effect a disengagement between the pawl and ratchet wheel.

3. The combination with a warp-beam'of a loom, of speed reduction gearing connected with the warp-beam to drive it, a ratchet wheel to drive the speed reduction gearing, brake mechanism connected to the ratchet wheel to oppose its turning movement, a reciprocatory pawl element adapted to be shifted laterally into and out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, a lever driven by a movable part of the loom and pivotally supporting the reciprocatory pawl element and also serving to move the same, means to pivotally support the lever so that it is free to turn about its pivot and is held against bodily shifting movement with relation to its pivot, a pivoted presser bar engaging the warp and passing from the warp-beam and arranged to be depressed by the warp when the tension increases thereon, yielding means to oppose the depressing swinging movement of the presser bar, and means connected with the presser bar and directly connected with the pawl element to swing such pawl element upon its pivot to effect an engagement between the pawl element and the ratchet wheel when the presser bar is depressed.

4. The combination with a warp-beam of a loom, of speed reduction gearing connected with the warp-beam to drive it, a ratchet wheel to drive the speed reduction gearing, brake mechanism connected with the ratchet wheel to oppose its turning movement, a rigid pawl element for co-action with the ratchet wheel, a lever driven by a movable part of the loom and having pivotal connection with'the rigid pawl element and serving to reciprocate the same, means for pivotally supporting the lever so that it is free to turn about its pivot and is held against bodily shifting movement"withrelation thereto, a rock shaft pivotally supportednear the warp-beam, a presser bar carried by the rock shaft to turn it and engaging the warp from the warp-beam, and to be depressed when the tension increases upon the warp, a crank rigidly mounted upon the rock shaft, a rod pivotallyconnected with the crank and directly pivotally connected with the rigid 'pawl element to shift the same laterally uponits pivot, a second crank rigidly mounted upon the rock shaft, a spring to'oppose the movement of the second-named crank, the arrangement being such that the spring functions to raise the presser bar to effect a disengagement between the rigid pawl element and ratchet wheel.

5. The combination with a warp-beam of a loom, of speed reduction gearing connected with the warp-beam and ratchet wheel to drive the speed reduction gearing, brake mechanism connected with the ratchet wheel to oppose its turning movement, a rigid pawl element for co-action with the ratchet wheel, an element driven by a movable part of the loom and pivotally connected with the rigid pawl element and serving to reciprocate such a pawl element, means to pivotally support the driven element so that it is free to turn upon its pivot and is held againstbodily shiftmg movement with relation thereto, a rock shaft pivoted near the warp-beam, a presser bar carried by the rock shaft to turn it and engaging the warp from the warp-beam to be depressed when the tension increases upon the warp, a crank rigidly mounted upon the rock shaft, a rod pivotally connected with the crank and directly pivotally connected with the rigid pawl element, a second crank rigidly mounted upon the rock shaft, a spring arranged above the second crank and engaging the same to force it downwardly, adjustable means to regulate the tension of the spring, the arrangement being such that the spring functions to raise the presser bar to effect disengagement between the rigid pawl element and ratchet wheel. v

6. The combination with a horizontal warp-beam of a loom, of a ratchet wheel connected with the warp-beam to turn it, a horizontal rock shaft pivotally supported upon one side of and beneath the warp-beam,

radial arms connected with the rock shaft, a V

presser bar carried by the radial arms to engage with the warp from-thewarp-beam, a generally vertical pawl element disposed upon the opposite side of the warp-beam for co-actionwith the ratchet wheel, a lever arranged upon the same side ofthe warp-beam with the pawl element and pivotally connected with the pawl element to support the same and reciprocate'it, means pivotally supportpivoted lever with a' movable part of the 100m, yielding means to oppose the turning movement of the rock shaft for depressing the presser bar, a crank carried by the rock shaft and arranged upon the same side of the warpbeam with the presser bar, and a rod pivotally connected with the last-named crank and directly pivotally connected with the pawl element. 7 I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' JOHN PERRY CASEY. 

